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  3. New Studies in Economic and Social History

Published on behalf of the Economic History Society under the General Editor, Professor Maurice Kirby, University of LancasterThis textbook series provides concise, authoritative guides to current interpretations of key themes in economic and social history. Each book in the series summarises the significant debates and advances in a major field of study, helping readers to draw their own conclusions. All titles include critical bibliographies and guides to further reading.

  • General Editors: Maurice Kirby, University of Lancaster

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25 results in New Studies in Economic and Social History

Page 1 of 2

The American West. Visions and Revisions
  • Margaret Walsh
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    02 December 2004
  • This is a succinct survey of the numerous contributions to the history of the American west. In the past twenty-five years historians have created a 'New Western History', which has aimed to rewrite the 'Old Western History' created around the famous Turner thesis on the significance of the American Frontier. Focusing on five main themes, this study examines and discusses the dynamics and progress of recent scholarship. Consideration is given to issues of land use, the environment, race, ethnicity, gender, business and the development of communities. Synthesising prolific research, the book offers a clear and up-to-date review for all students of American history. A full bibliography is provided for more extended study.

The French Economy in the Twentieth Century
  • Jean-Pierre Dormois
  • Published online:
    14 January 2010
    Print publication:
    01 July 2004
  • This new textbook examines the spectacular transformation that the French economy has undergone over the past century. Jean-Pierre Dormois offers a general introduction to the major trends as well as recent transformations of French society, and an overview of modern economic development. He tackles the key themes associated with the French 'path of economic development' - Malthusianism, exceptionalism and Colbertism. Other chapters address standard economic issues on the role of human capital formation, economic institutions and openness to the rest of the world. The author examines and interprets trends and features of the period as a whole, and sets them in a wider European framework. This book offers students a helpful and concise summary of recent research, and presents a uniquely synthetic view of the French economy in the twentieth century. It will have broad appeal for students and teachers of French and of European history and economics.

The History of Family Business, 1850–2000
  • Andrea Colli
  • Published online:
    14 January 2010
    Print publication:
    19 December 2002
  • In this 2002 textbook, Andrea Colli gives a historical and comparative perspective on family business, examining through time the different relationships within family businesses and among family enterprises, inside different political and institutional contexts. He compares the performance of family businesses with that of other economic organizations, and looks at how these enterprises have contributed to the evolution of contemporary industrial capitalism. Central to his discussion are the reasons for both the decline and persistence of family business, how it evolved historically, the different forms it has taken over time, and how it has contributed to the growth of single economies. The book summarises previous research into family business, and situates many aspects of family business - such as their strategies, contribution, failure and decline - in an economic, social, political and institutional context. It will be of key interest to students of economic history and business studies.

British Trade Unions since 1933
  • Chris Wrigley
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    12 December 2002
  • This textbook reviews major issues concerning the history of British trade unions in the last two-thirds of the twentieth century. Even with the decline in membership of the 1980s and 1990s, trade unions in Britain have remained the largest voluntary organisations in the country and the total membership has remained larger than in most other countries. The book discusses many major aspects of trade unionism and many controversies concerning it, including strikes (sometimes seen as a peculiarly 'British disease'). Trade union presence in the labour market has been deemed a cause of higher unemployment and lower productivity. The trade unions have been accused of being insensitive on gender and ethnicity. They have also been accused of being corporatist, unelected partners in government (especially in the 1940–79 period). Overall, this book gives students a lucid introduction to the recent history of British trade unionism.

The Growth of the Italian Economy, 1820–1960
  • Jon Cohen, Giovanni Federico
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    06 September 2001
  • This volume in the New Studies in Economic and Social History series examines Italy's transformation from a largely rural state in the nineteenth century to today's industrial powerhouse. At the time of unification in 1861, much of the country was backward, poor, and agrarian: few would have believed that a hundred years later Italy would become one of the seven largest industrial countries, its people among the wealthiest in the world. This process of development and structural change has generated an enormous and evolving literature, alive with controversies and compelling insights. New research and reinterpretation of existing data have led to a reevaluation of the nature of Italian Dualism, while revisions to national income accounts are modifying the traditional picture of economic growth. Jon Cohen and Giovanni Federico provide a concise, up-to-date account of this literature, highlighting new views on old issues, and signalling areas in need of further research.

Slavery, Atlantic Trade and the British Economy, 1660–1800
  • Kenneth Morgan
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    04 January 2001
  • This book considers the impact of slavery and Atlantic trade on British economic development in the generations between the restoration of the Stuart monarchy and the era of the Younger Pitt. During this period Britain's trade became 'Americanised' and industrialisation began to occur in the domestic economy. The slave trade and the broader patterns of Atlantic commerce contributed important dimensions of British economic growth although they were more significant for their indirect, qualitative contribution than for direct quantitative gains. Kenneth Morgan investigates five key areas within the topic that have been subject to historical debate: the profits of the slave trade; slavery, capital accumulation and British economic development; exports and transatlantic markets; the role of business institutions; and the contribution of Atlantic trade to the growth of British ports. This stimulating and accessible book provides essential reading for students of slavery and the slave trade, and British economic history.

Social Unrest and Popular Protest in England, 1780–1840
  • John E. Archer
  • Published online:
    05 July 2015
    Print publication:
    02 November 2000
  • This book, first published in 2000, examines the diversity of protest from 1780 to 1840 and how it altered during this period of extreme change. This textbook covers all forms of protest, including the Gordon Riots of 1780, food riots, Luddism, the radical political reform movement and Peterloo in 1819, and the less well researched anti-enclosure, anti-New Poor Law riots, arson and other forms of 'terroristic' action, up to the advent of Chartism in the 1830s. Archer evaluates the problematic nature of source materials and conflicting interpretations leading to debate, and reviews the historiography and methodology of protest studies. This study of popular protest gives a unique perspective on the social history and conditions of this crucial period and will provide a valuable resource for students and teachers alike.

Economic Change in China, c.1800–1950
  • Philip Richardson
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    13 November 1999
  • This 1999 book provides a concise introduction to the economic history of one of the major world powers. China is probably the only major economy for which it is still not certain whether modern economic growth at the aggregate level had taken hold by the middle of the twentieth century. This introductory analysis of the process of economic change in China from the end of the eighteenth century to the middle of the twentieth looks at the nature of the traditional economy, covers the pressure it came under from both internal and external sources during the nineteenth century and assesses the evolution of modern features in the twentieth. With maps, tables and bibliography to guide the student, this concise study will provide an invaluable introduction to crucial aspects of Chinese history.

Health and Society in Britain since 1939
  • Virginia Berridge
  • Published online:
    09 January 2010
    Print publication:
    27 May 1999
  • British health policy has undergone enormous change in the post-war era. The NHS established in the post-war period has been constantly reorganised, and the role of doctors and associated medical professions has radically changed. This book considers the changes in health policy and in the service provided by the NHS, and examines in detail the 'mixed economy' of health care and the role of different providers of health care, as well as their relationships both with recipients of care and the state. In doing so, Professor Berridge sheds light on the increasingly important part that lay people, especially women, have played in the provision of health care and looks at community care and the shifting balance of power within the medical profession. The book provides a guide to changes in health and health policy during and since World War II, giving an authoritative analysis of the most recent research.

Education and Economic Decline in Britain, 1870 to the 1990s
  • Michael Sanderson
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    22 April 1999
  • Since the 1870s the British economy has steadily declined from its position as the 'workshop of the world' to that of a low-ranking European power. Michael Sanderson examines the question of how far defects in education and training have contributed to this economic decline. By looking at issues such as literacy, the quality of scientific and technical training, the supposed anti-industrial bias of public schools and the older universities, the neglect of vocational and technical training and the neglect of the non-academic teenager, Michael Sanderson demonstrates that education was far from the sole cause of economic decline, but that its deficiencies have certainly played a part. This book offers an accessible and concise analysis of a topic of current importance, interest and debate and will be of interest to students and teachers of the history of education and its impact on British economic development in the twentieth century.

War and British Society 1688–1815
  • H. V. Bowen
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    28 March 1998
  • Drawing on a large volume of research, this 1998 book considers sustained warfare as a powerful agent of change which transformed a wide range of institutions, structures, and processes in Britain between 1688 and 1815, a period when Britain was at war for much of the time. Stressing the positive as well as the negative, and the long term as well as the short term, the effects of war are brought to bear upon questions of central importance in the study of eighteenth-century British history. How effectively did the emerging state cope with the financial and logistical demands of war? How severe were the economic and social strains imposed upon the population at large, and how did they respond to the call to arms? What effect did war have upon the industrialising economy? A balanced overview is presented of Britain as a nation at war during an important phase of her development as an imperial, industrial and military power.

Soviet Economic Development from Lenin to Khrushchev
  • R. W. Davies
  • Published online:
    06 January 2010
    Print publication:
    28 March 1998
  • This book provides a comprehensive survey of Soviet economic development from 1917 to 1965 in the context of the pre-revolutionary economy. In these years the Soviet Union negotiated the first stages of modern industrialisation and then, after the defeat of Nazi Germany and its allies, emerged as one of the two world superpowers. This was also the first attempt to construct a planned socialist order. These developments resulted in great economic achievements at great human cost. Using the results of recent Russian and Western research, Professor Davies discusses the inherent faults and strengths of the system, and pays particular attention to the major controversies. Was the Russian Revolution doomed to failure from the outset? Could the mixed economy of the 1920s have led to a democratic socialist economy? What was the influence of Soviet economic development on the rest of the world?

Debating Slavery
  • Economy and Society in the Antebellum American South
  • Mark M. Smith
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    13 February 1998
  • Even while slavery existed, Americans debated slavery. Was it a profitable and healthy institution? If so, for whom? The abolition of slavery in 1865 did not end this debate. Similar questions concerning the profitability of slavery, its impact on masters, slaves, and nonslaveowners still inform modern historical debates. Is the slave South best characterized as a capitalist society? Or did its dogged adherence to non-wage labor render it precapitalist? Today, southern slavery is among the most hotly disputed topics in writing on American history. With the use of illustrative material and a critical bibliography, Dr Smith outlines the main contours of this complex debate, summarizes the contending viewpoints, and at the same time weighs up the relative importance, strengths and weaknesses of the various competing interpretations. This book introduces an important topic in American history in a manner which is accessible to students and undergraduates taking courses in American history.

Sport, Economy and Society in Britain 1750–1914
  • Neil Tranter
  • Published online:
    18 December 2009
    Print publication:
    22 January 1998
  • This book provides a concise, up-to-date survey of one of the most dramatic changes in the cultural life of Victorian and Edwardian Britain, the radical transformation which occurred in the extent and nature of its participation in sport. Neil Tranter focuses on the issues which have attracted most interest from historians of sport and poses a number of important questions: did levels of involvement in sport increase or decrease during the initial stages of urban-industrialisation? When did the new sporting culture first emerge, and what were its principal features and the mechanisms through which it spread? What were the main aims of the participants and supporters, and to what extent were these aims achieved? The author also discusses the economic consequences of this cultural change and the examines the role of women in this sporting 'revolution' and asks why their participation was so much more restricted than that of men.

Children, Childhood and English Society, 1880–1990
  • Harry Hendrick
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    09 October 1997
  • This book is intended to be a guide to the burgeoning literature on the history of childhood. Harry Hendrick reviews the most important debates and the main findings of a number of historians on a range of topics including the changing social constructions of childhood, child-parent relations, social policy, schooling, leisure and the thesis that modern childhood is 'disappearing'. The intention of this concise study is to provide readers with a reliable account of the evolution of some of the most important developments in adult-child relations during the last one hundred years. The author draws his material not only from historians but also from sociologists, anthropologists, psychologists and children's rights activists. Thus he successfully shows how much of our 'modern' understanding of childhood and of children results from both an historical and a social scientific understanding.

The Industrial Revolution in Scotland
  • Christopher A. Whatley
  • Published online:
    12 October 2018
    Print publication:
    28 January 1997
  • The Industrial Revolution in Scotland is the first new student text on this subject for more than two decades. While the focus is on Scotland, Dr Whatley's approach is largely comparative and he places the Scottish experience of industrialisation within the context of the debate about the 'British' Industrial Revolution. Unusually, Dr Whatley's study encompasses the whole of Scotland and assesses the nature and impact of early industrialisation in the woollen manufacturing towns of the Borders and in Dundee, the Scottish centre of linen production. He also examines the Highlands and Islands, upon which industrial development had a profound impact, and which arguably suffered more than any other region in Britain, as the economy became more centralised from the 1820s. Social as well as the economic causes and consequences of the Industrial Revolution are also fully considered.

The Nazi Economic Recovery 1932–1938
  • R. J. Overy
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    27 June 1996
  • The performance of the German economy between the Great Crash and the Second World War has been the subject of intense academic debate. The problems of economic growth were acute in inter-war Germany, and the depression of the early 1930s intensified these problems, driving many Germans towards the political extremes. The Nazi seizure of power in 1933 was followed by the introduction of an extensive 'package' of government policies to expand demand and increase investment. These policies were not Keynesian, for by 1939 the government had extended its range of controls over the whole economy and it became part of the Nazi political system for waging war. In this new edition of The Nazi Economic Recovery 1932–1938, R. J. Overy discusses the main areas of the debate, arguing that the war preparation that took place at this time was ultimately incompatible with long-term economic recovery, and that the German economic miracle did not occur until after 1945.

Children's Work and Welfare 1780–1890
  • Pamela Horn
  • Published online:
    04 August 2010
    Print publication:
    28 September 1995
  • This short book provides a succinct account of changes in children's work and welfare in Britain between 1780 and 1890. It examines both the scale and the nature of child employment and the changing attitude of society towards it at a time when Britain was becoming the 'workshop of the world'. The further development of industry in the second half of the nineteenth century meant that the need for juvenile workers declined. At the same time the efforts of philanthropists and the State led to legal curbs on the kinds of jobs children could perform and the minimum age at which they could commence them. The author concludes that the century after 1780 saw a progressive lengthening of childhood as a stage of life, and that by 1890 children had been recognised as 'special cases' in need of protective legislation. However, for the poorest and most disadvantaged families life remained a struggle, and children continued to pick up a living where they could.

The Great Irish Famine
  • Cormac Ó'Gráda
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    28 September 1995
  • The Irish Famine of 1846–50 was one of the great disasters of the nineteenth century, whose notoriety spreads as far as the mass emigration which followed it. Cormac O'Gráda's concise survey suggests that a proper understanding of the disaster requires an analysis of the Irish economy before the invasion of the potato-killing fungus, Phytophthora infestans, highlighting Irish poverty and the importance of the potato, but also finding signs of economic progress before the Famine. Despite the massive decline in availability of food, the huge death toll of one million (from a population of 8.5 million) was hardly inevitable; there are grounds for supporting the view that a less doctrinaire attitude to famine relief would have saved many lives. This book provides an up-to-date introduction by a leading expert to an event of major importance in the history of nineteenth-century Ireland and Britain.

Approaches to the History of the Western Family 1500–1914
  • Adaptation by Michael Anderson
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    28 September 1995
  • Over the past thirty years family history has been one of the most important and controversial growth areas in the development of social history. In this guide to the burgeoning literature on the Western family Professor Anderson reviews the main findings of historians and considers them in the light of the problems inherent in the interpretation of family history. He focuses particularly on the strengths and limitations of the different approaches that have been adopted, showing that although this variety of method has complicated matters, it has also produced a more rounded understanding of the history of the family. Updated to include work published between 1980 and 1994, this book will be invaluable to students of family history, and to scholars who are non-specialist in the field.

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